Equipment and processes used heretofore for the production of consumable hot soup suffer from various disadvantages and drawbacks because of the time and trouble required to operate them, lack of portion control and consequent inconsistent results. The apparatus, soup concentrate and process of the present invention overcome the foregoing. The apparatus and process according to the present invention are particularly characterized by the ease and speed of preparation and low cost thereof. Additional advantages are realized from portion control of the soup, reduced serving cost, consistency and improved quality, ease of clean up, reduced yield loss and improved safety. Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description that follows.